Hinged frame construction for luggage



Oct. 15, 1968 McK|M ALFORD 3,405,788

HINGED FRAME CONSTRUCTION FOR LUGGAGE Filed May 25, 1966 ROBERT M. ALFORD INVENTOR.

Bygg

A TTORNEYS United States Patent 3,405,788 HINGED FRAME CONSTRUCTION FOR LUGGAGE Robert McKim Alford, Port Moody, British Columbia, Canada, assignor to Henry L. Kotkins, Seattle, Wash. Filed May 25, 1966, Ser. No. 552,770 3 Claims. (Cl. 190-49) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A luggage device comprising two closable sections adapted to be pivotally close together with peripheral edges in face to face adjacency is provided with peripheral metal frame closures peripherally enclosing and attached to the adjacent edges of the two luggage device closable sections. Each metal frame closure is provided with a longitudinal outer reinforcing rib extending outward from the frame closure flange that attaches the frame closure to the respective luggage device closable section. Along one end of the luggage device the longitudinal outer reinforcing rib of each metal frame closure is arcuately extended and hingeably interlocked with the other to pivotally hinge the two closable sections together, such interlock being elfected by sliding one arcuately formed outer reinforcing rib section into the other until the two closable sections are aligned.

This invention relates to luggage and more particularly to hinged frame closures for luggage.

A primary object of this invention is to provide luggage with a frame closure wherein the hinged connection between the luggage sections is formed from the frame closure itself.

Another object is to provide such a frame closure having two frame members adapted to be slidably interconnected to form a hinged joint in a manner that simplifies assembly of the luggage sections.

A further object is to provide such a frame closure wherein the hinged joint extends substantially across one end of the luggage.

Still another object is to provide such a frame closure wherein the interconnectable frame members are extruded.

These and other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a luggage piece illustrating a frame closure around the periphery between the luggage sections, the interconnected frame members forming the hinged joint being depicted across the bottom end of the luggage;

FIG. 2 is a cross-section taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1 depicting the non-hinged frame member sections in closed form;

FIG. 3 is a cross-section taken along the line 33 of FIG. 1 depicting hingeably interconnected frame member sections in closed form; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view depicting hingeably interconnected frame member sections in closed form with a spring plate associated therewith to hold the luggage sections open against closing by their own weight.

In brief, this invention comprises a luggage device having two closable sections pivotally joined together by a hinged frame closure afiixed to the adjacent peripheral edges of the two sections along one end thereof. The hinged frame closure comprises two frame members which are each aflixed to one of the two luggage sections and which are interconnectable to form a hinged joint. The hinged frame members each have an arcuate outwardly-extending appendage adapted to be interconnected, one with the other, by longitudinally sliding one append- 3,405,788 Patented Oct. 15, 1968 ice age into the other. The appendages are so formed that they cannot be disconnected without sliding one appendage longitudinally with respect to the other. Thus, the luggage sections can be assembled separately and then hingedly interconnected. The interconnected appendages can extend substantially completely across the hinge side of the luggage thereby adding strength to the frame closure and eliminating frame warpage at the hinge point.

With reference to FIGS. 1-3, a luggage piece having two sections 10 and 12, is provided in accordance with this invention with a metal peripheral frame closure 14 comprised of two members which are each affixed by any suitable means to the abutting edges of the luggage piece halves. The luggage sections are hingeably connected at one side of the lugage piece by interconnection of frame closure sections 1411 and 14b. The non-interconnected frame closure sections and 14d are formed, as by extrusion, to the configurations shown so as to provide relatively wide inwardly extending longitudinally reinforcing ribs 16 and 18, a longitudinally extending seal comprising an elongated channel-shaped portion 20 in one member opening transversely and an elongated longitudinal protrusion 22 in the other member adapted to fit into the channel portion 20, longitudinally-extending transverse side flanges 24 and 26 for attachment to the respective luggage section, and relatively narrow outwardlyextending longitudinal reinforcing ribs 28 and 30 in one member and rib 32 in the other member adjacent to rib 30. The interconnected frame closure sections 14a and 14b are similarly formed with the exception that the adjacent outer ribs 30a and 32a are considerably wider than ribs 30 and 32 and are arcuately formed for hingeably interlocking relation. These outer ribs 30a and 32a are the arcuate appendages mentioned above. Viewing FIGS. 2 and 3, it is seen that both the hinged and non-hinged frame members, when in closed position, provide edge portions for attachment to the respective luggage sections, and provide an intermediate portion effective to seal the luggage interior when closed. The interconnected frame closure sections 14a and 14b are preferably separate from the frame closure sections 140 and 14d inasmuch as the sections 140 and 14d with their narrower ribs 30 and 32 most likely would be extruded or otherwise formed separately from the sections 14a and 14b with their wider ribs 30a and 32a.

The luggage piece of this invention would be assembled by attaching the luggage piece halves to their respective frame closure members. The frame closure sections 14a and 14b are aligned end-to-end and rib 30a inserted into rib 32a. The two frame closure sections are shifted longi tudinally together until the two luggage piece halves are aligned. Means 34 and 36 are then positioned at the ends of the frame closure sections 30a and 32a to maintain alignment between the luggage sections and to prevent relative longitudinal shift between the frame closure sections 14a and 14b.

The specific means 34 and 36 shown in FIG. 1 are hinge assemblies of the type shown and described in US. Patent No. 2,874,401 which incorporate positively acting spring members to hold the luggage piece halves open against closing by their own weight. Thus in addition to maintaining alignment between the luggage piece halves, these hinge assemblies can serve as a positively acting means to keep the top luggage half in an upright position during luggage packing and unpacking if such is desired.

FIG. 4 depicts an embodiment of the hinged frame closure sections 14a and 14b which incorporates a spring plate 40 to achieve the positive acting function of the hinge assembles 34 and 36. This spring plate is attached to the base section 14a between ribs 28a and 30a and slidably abuts the side or rib 32a. The shape of the portion of rib..32a adjacent to-the spring plate is such that as the luggage piece is being opened, the spring plate will be flexed until the spring plate contacts the substantially flat surface 42 on the outermost edge of the rib 32a. In this position the spring action of the spring plate positively resists further pivotal movement of the luggage piece halves. As a result, the luggage piece cannot close by virtue of its own weight. The luggage piece can be reclosed when desired by simply applying sufficient pressure to overcome the bias provided by the spring plate.

By appropriate design of the arcuately-shaped ribs 30a and 32a, the frame closure sections 14a and 1411 can limit the degree to which the luggage piece can be opened to 90 or to any degree up to 180.

It is thought that the invention will have been clearly understood from the foregoing detailed description. Changes in the details of construction wiil suggest themselves and may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention, wherefore it is my intention that no limitations beimplied and that the hereto annexed claims be given a scope fully commensurate with the broadest interpretation to which the employed language admits.

What is claimed is:

1. A luggage device which comprises first and second closable sections adapted to be pivotally closed together with peripheral edges in face-to-face adjacency; a first metal frame closure peripherally enclosing the peripheral edge of said first closable section and having a longitudinal side flange extending transversely toward said first closable section peripheral edge and joined thereto, a longitudinal inner reinforcing rib extending inwardly from the inner face of said side flange, a longitudinal channelshaped seal section opening away from said side flange, and a longitudinal outer reinforcing rib extending outwardly from the outer face of said side flange; a second metal frame closure peripherally enclosingthe peripheral edge of said second closable section and having a longitudinal side flange extending transversely toward said first closable section peripheral edge and joined thereto, a longitudinal inner reinforcing rib extending inwardly from the inner face of said side flange, a longitudinal protruded fsea l section extending away from said side flange and adapted to fit into said channel-shaped seal section when the two closable sections are closed, and a longitudinal outer reinforcing rib extending outwardly from the outer face of said side flange; the outer reinforcing ribs along one end of said luggage device being arcuately extended and hingeably interlocked to pivotally hinge the two closable sections together, such interlock being effected by slidihg one arcuately-forrned outer reinforcing rib section into' the other until the two closable sections are aligned. 2. A luggage device according to claim 1 including means atfixed to said first and second metal frame closures to maintain alignment between said first and second closable sections when said interlock has been'eflected.

3. A luggage device according to claim 1 wherein said first metal frame closure includes a second longitudinal outer reinforcing rib extending outwardly from the outer face of said side flange with a flat surface being provided between the first and second outer ribs; and wherein the arcuately interlocked sections overlay said flat surface of said first metal frame closure and stand away therefrom.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 520 12/1837 Steiner 19049 2,233,326 2/1941 Rooney 22031 2,950,792 8/1960 Axtell l-49 3,242,523 3/1966 Daley 16l7l JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner. 

